Woman accused of attacking flight crew

A woman on a US Airways flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Fort Myers had to be restrained after causing a disturbance during the trip Tuesday.

Flight 1697 crew members said Peggy Albedhady-Sanchez, 50, of Union City, New Jersey, appeared to be intoxicated and began to spit, kick and scream and even grabbed one flight attendants' arm when she was denied alcohol.

"Crews are trained to handle passenger disruptions and they vary," said Bill McDglashen of US Airways.

A second flight attendant tried to intervene, but according to the attendant, Albedhady-Sanchez slapped him across the jaw.

Seeing all this happen, an off duty Lee County deputy grabbed Albedhady-Sanchez and brought her to the back of the plane.

Still being combative, she kicked a third flight attendant in the groin area and even kicked and broke an arm rest while the deputy tied her hands, according to reports.

"These events happen unfortunately and when they do we have well trained flight attendants that know how to manage disruptive passengers. They did so, they did so correctly, and the result is they stopped the escalation and contained the situation," said McDglashen.

Albedhady-Sanchez was observed by medics when the plane arrived at Southwest Florida International Airport, then arrested by police.

The three flight attendants were checked out by medics, one suffered some bruises and slight swelling to her wrist.

Flight attendants said the woman complained she was afraid of flying shortly before her outburst.

She was booked into the Lee County Jail on three counts of battery and interfering with the operation of an aircraft.

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